FNC ‘Alerts’ Michael Jackson Gossip

On Thursday, The Big Story with John Gibson led with a Fox News Alert that Michael Jackson had been hospitalized in Las Vegas with pneumonia. Gibson repeatedly sourced Roger Friedman.

“The tip came from FOXNews.com and was put in the urgent FNC file,” a tipster says. “It turned out to be false.”

Most reports now say Jackson is a “little bit under the weather,” but not in the hospital. Friedman is now wording it as a question: “Does Michael Jackson have pneumonia? Does his back hurt? Or has he checked into a Las Vegas hospital just to get drugs?”

> Also: Half of Nancy Grace‘s show was dedicated to “reports” — unsourced — that Jackson had been hospitalized…

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